Draqiroth Lealred

The Conqueror of Draconia

The 68th Grand Wizard of the Draconian people, Draqiroth Lealred is best known for declaring war on the entire world. He was the Village Chief of Bortan and Magic History Professor at the Magic College of Zephys before his ascension to the Draconian throne, and led the Draconian Nationalist Party in life, becoming a symbol of their movement after his death.

History

Born in the Uncharted Desert, the exact location of Draqiroth's birth and early life is unknown. While he came from the noble Lealred family, some of the first Draconians, the branch he came from had long since disappeared from Draconian Territory into the desert. Draqiroth himself disliked saying all of the specifics, and it is believed he only ever told a handful of people exactly where he was from. To reveal his hand before his plan went into effect would possibly be to give the opportunity to achieve his dream to someone else, and so he kept it a tightly guarded secret.
But he and his family were the only Draconians in a town populated otherwise exclusively by Detser Gnomes, and because of this, these Gnomes who were otherwise isolated from the world were confused, believing him to be some strange sort of Gnome with a disease or condition, calling him deformed and ugly. They pitied Draqiroth, and often excluded him, seeing him as ill and unfit for company. They also claimed that Draqiroth's father abandoned him because he was too ugly to love.
This confused the young Lealred, who had grown up on bedtime stories of his people's history from history books he had been left by his parents, and was quite proud of who he was. He was a Draconian, not a Gnome, and he was a rather handsome one at that. At least that was what his dad had told him when he was still around. And besides, his father hadn't abandoned him. Draqiroth's father had set out into the desert and was beset upon by the Brown Dragon Lord Nammat the Unseen. He was killed by one of the mightiest beasts in the world, and for that, too, Draqiroth was proud.

"A mighty death amidst the sands of glory... each speck will carry his bravery for eternity. No man died greater than my father. No man but I shall ever die as great as my father did."

— Draqiroth Lealred

But the way he was called and ridiculed, belittled for something he did not see as a flaw, destroyed the young boy's self-esteem. How did they not know what a Draconian was? Had things in the Draconian Villages been so dire that the world was forgetting them, the once mighty mages who had made all people on Totania tremble at one point or another in history?
Was all of that a lie? He had no reason to believe it other than what he was told, and he had equal reason to believe what the Gnomes said of him.
Draqiroth thus spent most of his time in the desert around his hometown. He was alone anyway, and felt a connection with the sand. A connection tinged with hatred for it. The desert, and the sand itself, had killed his father, masking the killer who still lurked somewhere in the massive biome. But even then, he could not stay mad at the sand. He was too connected to it... it was like a part of him. He could not part with it. It would be like abandoning one's heart.

Seeking Strength

Ultimately, he decided on a new goal. If he could not convince them he was of the mightiest species in Totania through historical records, he would prove it to them another way. A demonstration was in order.
Something he kept with him all his life was that philosophy:

"There are many different ways to get a lesson across, but only one has a guaranteed effectiveness. A demonstration they cannot ignore nor forget. Victory is achieved when you reach for it. Any less and it may slip through your fingers."

— Draqiroth Lealred

Draqiroth's first idea was to hunt down the one responsible for his father's death, for his isolation, and for the way he was treated. He would hunt down the brown Dragon Lord Nammat the Unseen.
He was called ridiculous for this by the few who he told, but he had been called such things before. Ridiculous meant nothing to a supposedly ugly and deformed Gnome with a skin disease and a height problem. Draqiroth ignored them, and continued boasting before, finally, he left his home with the sword his father had given him, and set out to find the Dragon Lord.
It was difficult. Of course it was, he was called the Unseen for a reason. Nammat lived his life beneath the sand, and Draqiroth's earth magic had trouble controlling sand, as it required focusing on each individual grain, and that needed a great amount of focus. He had to rely entirely on his swordsmanship here, and that was... not very polished. He only had what strength he had built up, and a dream. A dream of acceptance.
From beneath the sands, Nammat surprised him. Draqiroth managed to dodge the Dragon Lord a few times, as he came to eat the Draconian, but any time he swung his sword, Nammat dodged easily. Finally, when Draqiroth managed to get a hit in, his sword shattered. His father's gift, broken on the scales of the creature that killed him. It was hopeless, but the young Draqiroth, around 13 years old, held the hilt in one hand still and the blade's remnants in the other, facing Nammat as he went to eat him. He would not dodge again. He would face his death head on.
Draqiroth was not aware that he was being followed at the time, by a Gnome from his home village named Aridri Gedweth. Aridri was the same age as him, but had learned a magical technique that gave him an edge over Draqiroth, for Aridri was a bard.
This other Gnome had been, initially, one of the Gnomes to laugh at the strange Gnome, but when Draqiroth's father left, Aridri stopped being around the other Gnomes, and had kept an eye on Draqiroth from a distance. When Aridri saw him leave, he followed, worried for Draqiroth.
Aridri pulled him aside, as Nammat swam through the sand around them, and asked why he would do something so stupid when he would almost certainly die for it. All Draqiroth said in response was:

"Isn't it admirable, to die for your dream?"

— Draqiroth Lealred

The Gnome smacked him for that, and said that he could still achieve it without having to die. There were other ways to prove the strength of him and his people, if he were so intent on that. Draqiroth didn't understand why it mattered, there was no one he had to return to. Aridri insisted, saying that he would stand by Draqiroth. He, too, had little else back home. His family had died to the desert storms while traveling, and he had no friends back home anymore either.

Aridri Gedweth by Jarhed

And so they never returned. Instead, they set out from the Uncharted Desert, hoping to find other Draconians outside of it. The desert was unmapped, and so they had no way of knowing where to go. All they knew was that the Draconian Villages were on the southern coast of Elone, and so they traveled south until, finally, they came across a herd of sheep.

Entering a New Nation

A Draconian beastmaster had been herding the sheep out of the desert and onto a farm. He lived in a small settlement under the jurisdiction of the Draconian village of Dembar, the most fringe region of the Draconian nation, far from most other Draconian settlements but still in the borders.
Draqiroth had not seen another Draconian in his life before, save for his own family, and so when he gazed upon the shepherd, he couldn't stop his legs from running towards him and his arms from embracing him. Aridri, too, was quite surprised to find that Draqiroth was telling the truth. He was certain Draqiroth wasn't a Gnome, but... well, he didn't know what to believe. Seeing the shepherd, and then he and Draqiroth being taken in by him for a time, proved that he just needed to stick behind Draqiroth. That was all he needed to do.
Much has been said about the Beastmaster, who has never been named in any official stories (Draqiroth has said he wished to preserve the anonymity of the private citizen who helped him). He has become almost a mythical figure, shepherding the future of Draconia and guiding its savior to his destiny. There is no evidence to prove he was anything but a poor shepherd, but some portray him as some sort of divine guide sent by Helle or Sia.
Whatever the case, Draqiroth and Aridri lived with the beastmaster, helping him with his sheep and helping people around the town. Their knowledge of the desert helped immensely, and soon they were told to go to Dembar itself to meet the Village Chief. Dembar was one of the smaller villages in Draconian Territory, but still it was bigger than any settlement Draqiroth and Aridri had ever seen. They were lost, but eventually they were pulled aside by a man who had been looking for them. He had received word that outsiders were coming: Durfarn Nurdesh, the Chief of Dembar.
Durfarn allowed them to stay with him, learning about where they were from, why they had come to Dembar, and why they had helped the people outside the desert. Draqiroth answered rather simply:

"They are my people. If they need the help, who am I to deny it?"

— Draqiroth Lealred

Durfarn admired this, though it confused him a great deal why Draqiroth was so generous, and why this Gnome so happily followed him despite having admitted to only really meeting him when they left their hometown.
The Chief didn't take too long lingering on this, instead asking them to help out around Dembar. If they were going to help people in need, then he'd have them do it on his behalf, that way he would look better for it.

The Mighty Herald by Jarhed

It took only a day for the word of this to spread to the rest of Draconian Territory, and in that same day, someone arrived to meet them in Dembar. The 67th Grand Wizard, ruler of the Draconian people and worship leader of the Paragons of Unity: The Mighty Herald.
It wasn't understood by anyone how the Herald was able to, so easily, travel from Zephys to Dembar, in less than a day, but that just proved to most how he was the greatest living mage and worthy of his title. Draqiroth was, however, not so impressed. The man who was meant to lead all Draconians sent a chill down Draqiroth's spine whenever he was around, and his very first question to the young Lealred was only further reason for this uneasiness.

"Is it so simple, to prove yourself to one small town in the desert and, thus, be the strongest? I do believe there is more to it than that."

— The Mighty Herald

Draqiroth questioned what the Herald meant, but was answered back with:

"Oh please, you know it well enough, even if you've only just arrived. The strongest Draconian isn't the one who makes some abstract mark on the world, or one who is recognized by a certain group or person. The strongest Draconian is the Grand Wizard. The strongest Draconian rules over all others. The strongest Draconian rules over magic itself. And you, my friend, don't have that prowess. Would you like to?"

— The Mighty Herald

Draqiroth didn't quite understand what the Herald was talking about. He hadn't said a word of his motivation to anyone except Aridri, even keeping it secret from Durfarn and the shepherd. But the Mighty Herald had taken one look at him, if he could even look through that blindfold of his, and known the inner secrets of Draqiroth Lealred. And that terrified him beyond reason. He tensed up, but Aridri answered for him, learning that the Herald was extending an invitation to the two, for them to both be students at the Magic College of Zephys, where he was headmaster.
This sounded like a great idea to both of the former desert-dwellers, though Draqiroth still didn't fully trust the Mighty Herald. Still, he didn't see what better option there was, and agreed. After a few months, Draqiroth and Aridri set out from Dembar to undergo the entrance exam in Zephys and become students in the Class of 915.
When they arrived, they were once more shocked at the size of the city. Zephys was the largest city in the world, and its scale was mystifying, but somehow they knew exactly where to go, as if the Mighty Herald were guiding them towards him. When they arrived, he made sure they passed and got into the class. Upon being accepted, the Herald said something that was, again, very strange to Draqiroth:

"You've now got a reason to stay here, in our lovely nation, Draqiroth. I know how dear those borders are to you, but this is where you belong. They can call you whatever they like out there, but I know... you are a Draconian. Here, you are nothing but."

— The Mighty Herald

Draqiroth asked him how he knew Draqiroth's curiosity about the villages and his identity as a Draconian, and the Herald dismissed it with answers about being able to read body language easily when you're old enough and strong enough.
Draqiroth challenged the Herald, wishing to test his skill, but he didn't even get a chance to swing his broken sword before he fell to his knees from a single wave of the Mighty Herald's hand. He was outmatched, plain and simple.

Magic College Class of 915

Draqiroth focused most of his time studying on learning history, particularly of Draconians. He found that while the villages have had a strong individual identity, they'd only been united twice before in history. He envied Kilprax Ildial and Nalrik Tilrak for uniting the villages into one nation, but hated how it had fallen apart so easily after that, and he wanted to make something stronger. Not just a united group of villages, but a nation, as was outlined in a historical document he found titled the Articles of Draconia.
This would go on to shape his major philosophies about creating a nation of Draconia, which later led him to found the Draconian Nationalist party that was centered around a united Draconian people, not just unity around the Mighty Herald.
Aside from his historical studies, Draqiroth's time at the Magic College was largely made up of trivial fights against those he easily dealt with. Draqiroth Lealred had some mercy, but most of the people he had to actually fight during his time at the Magic College were beyond saving, and so he dealt them a swift death and moved on.
All but the Mighty Herald, of course. He was always haunted by the headmaster of his school, even having no choice but to intern with the Mighty Herald during his second year. The Herald helped to teach Draqiroth how to actually use his magic and control it better, and passed on a secret to him. A scroll with the technique to access the very source of magic itself and, therefore, utilize unlimited mana for a set duration of time.
Also during this internship, the Herald got to know Draqiroth better, finding him to be a principled man, or as he went on to call him later on:

"A man with the potential to be like the Bortanni of the past, men like Nalrik Tilrak or Impak Daxur: a hero. Perhaps the Draconians could use one nowadays."

— The Mighty Herald

Draqiroth, meanwhile, only grew more uneasy as he saw the systems around the Mighty Herald. The Paragons of Unity were little more than a cult dedicated to the Herald and his lies of trying to unite people in peace. There was something he wasn't saying, and while Draqiroth couldn't prove it, he didn't like what he saw. He kept a distance, picking up what he could from the Herald and leaving before he got wrapped up in... whatever the Paragons of Unity were planning.
Aridri told Draqiroth about someone he learned about: Dawid Hyr, who had over a hundred years prior been a member of the Draconian Noble Council that rules the villages with the Grand Wizard. Dawid had been a prominent figure of the era, and had made a mark for himself in Draconian politics. If he could do that, then Aridri was certain Draqiroth, or some Draconian, could be known to the Gnomes as well, all across the desert. He promised Draqiroth that he would help him be like Dawid, and that he would stick by his side.
Another thing Aridri taught Draqiroth was a song, the Grand Wizard Requiem, a song meant to represent the grief of the only Grand Wizard to ever commit suicide: Drixodal Vortrin. Draqiroth connected with this in a way he could not articulate, often thinking of his grief towards his father when he thought of it. Still, he mostly liked it because Aridri did, and he thought it was nice that there was once a Grand Wizard who had some grief for his students, while the Mighty Herald seemed cold and distant, hardly aware he was meant to be an educator to most of the mages enrolled at the Magic College.
Then came tragedy. The Curse of the Valedictorian struck Draqiroth during his own tournament, as every student who lost and was knocked out of the tournament wound up getting killed by a Korvian student in his class named Eliminator. Draqiroth was able to protect Aridri, but for some reason the Mighty Herald refused to intervene as the graduating students were slaughtered one-by-one. Finally, Draqiroth managed to take down the Korvian in battle, killing him and graduating first in his class, though only two people lived to graduate, himself and Aridri Gedweth. And so, upset at the Mighty Herald for refusing to step in, Draqiroth fled west with Aridri, away from Elone, to the continent of Udai.

The Swordsman and the Bard Abroad

In Udai, there were too many problems to solve. Draqiroth saw the scattered Orcish peoples fighting for scraps, and met a man who claimed he wanted to unite them named Zokk. Zokk was the only one that seemed to speak with any sense, saying that people were only fighting because they had nothing to work together on, and Draqiroth agreed.
Aridri, however, tried to steer Draqiroth away from this. It was clear that Zokk was not speaking of peace, just as the Mighty Herald didn't want anything truly peaceful. He wanted war, a great war where all the Orcs were united. Draqiroth left Zokk's camp on Aridri's suggestion, and they continued roaming around Udai, helping where they could and learning what they could.
They had to fight a great many forces who were causing havoc around the continent. Draqiroth had gotten himself involved in multiple local conflicts, trying to resolve them. During this time, he found out how complicated these inter-settlement politics can get, and how they are not solved so easily through war.
Finally, in a town of Orcs in the deserts of Udai, Aridri was struck down by a stray arrow. Something so simple killed Draqiroth's best friend in the midst of their battle, and he tried to hold on. He held Aridri, picking up the harp of his friend and trying desperately to play the Grand Wizard Requiem, that song he had loved. But Draqiroth was not musically inclined. He could not play a note, and he struggled to recall the melody. As it faded in his mind, Aridri went limp on his lap.
Draqiroth went crazy. All of the magical knowledge from the Herald, and his own knowledge of sand, awakened something in him: Impossible Magic. Sand Magic. He snapped the harp over his knee and began to use his new magic, almost unconsciously.
One may consider this affinity to be weak, but it didn't just give him control over sand. He could turn anything into sand, minute grains of it that he could control with immense precision and incredible danger. With it, he could even project horrific and mind-breaking visions into the mind with the Herald's tecniques. He slaughtered the Orcs around him, and those he spared swore to teach him every sword technique they knew.
Draqiroth then continued, roaming the world as once was done by the famed Draconian history professor Urokris Erthar. Draqiroth learned sword techniques and practices from every school in the world: the Orcs, the Crocutions, the Lizardfolk, the Kamejin, the Jihdi, the Ortoise school, the Emetians, the Elves, the Dwarves, and finally he returned home to Bortan, learning what little he had not learned from them before.
Finally, he had returned to Draconia. He buried Aridri there, whose body he had preserved with the magic of the Korvians, and began to get to work.
There, he thought of what he would do next, and reevaluated his beliefs. He had wanted to prove the might of the Draconians, and unite Draconia somehow, but Aridri had shown him something that he needed to put into practice now that he no longer had Aridri to do it for him. It wasn't just Draconians who would be the heart of this new nation. Draconia was for everyone... that was what he did this for. He was strengthening the Draconian people, but he was doing it to make the entire world a better place.
On that note, he had also initially considered just getting strong on his own, so that he could prove he was the strongest like he tried to do against Nammat. But that would do nothing. He didn't just want to strengthen himself, all that would do was prove that one man was strong. If he was to prove the might of the Draconians and make a mark on the world in that sense, make it so no other Draconian, wherever they lived, would be mocked, ridiculed, and thrown aside, he needed to strengthen all Draconians.
A united Draconia was a start, but he also needed to foster strength in others, training them to be capable of standing in his stead. Besides, it would be a great way to fight back against the Herald's strange plans of supposed peace: by preparing for a war that may never come.
But Draqiroth knew war would come eventually. War was inevitable.

Magic History Professor

It was the Mighty Herald who first offered Draqiroth a job. They were short on professors at the Magic College, and he knew Draqiroth had knowledge of history.
Draqiroth disliked how Draconians were almost always forced into the Magic History Professor position, because it was a way to make sure they told a pro-Draconian version of events, but he knew not only that he was suited to it, but also that he could use it to spread his own ideals and version of history. Not just a pro-Draconian version, but a pro-Draconia version.

Heiven by Jarhed

He was paired with a more experienced professor: the head of the Witch Hunters, Heiven.
The two bonded over a great many things. They both shared a distrust of the Mighty Herald, as well as a love for imparting wisdom onto others and passing on their teachings.
Though it was never a subject of discussion, both were also very envious men, and somehow they found great comfort in knowing that they could envy others together. Heiven filled the hole Aridri left in Draqiroth's heart, and what little space was left went to the students Draqiroth met. He spent as much time as he could teaching, at least for the first few years, until another position took half of his attention away from school.

Chief of Bortan

Before this position is discussed in-depth, Draqiroth's connection to Bortan (which has, until now, been left vague) must be explained.
The Lealred family was one of the first families in Bortan, when the Draconians were first created by Helle. His family still existed, albeit distantly related to him at that point, but through his actions he was able to not only work his way into their good graces, but ultimately inherit a large portion of the estate and wealth of the Lealred family.
His greatest achievement was the founding of a new political party. Much of Draconian politics for the Mighty Herald's reign had been single-party, under the Unity Party alligned with the Herald himself. Draqiroth challenged this by spreading his own ideas, partially through his students and also by chatting with influential nobles through his position as professor and, now, noble of Bortan. This began the Nationalist Party, which began picking up steam, though still pushed back a great deal by the Unity Party.
He then became Village Chief of Bortan, one of the leading figures in the nation, though he was denied a place in the Noble Council. Even though his party secured a few seats, the Unity Party would not let the leader of the Nationalist Party have a say in their votes.
As leader of the Nationalist Party, wishing to rally support, he abandoned his belief in the Goddess Sia that he had grown up with, first for the faith of Phrixus to secure Bortanni support. When he began spreading his party to other villages, he abandoned this too, never speaking on religion after becoming Grand Wizard, seeing it as the best way to maintain national support, and solidifying him (begrudgingly) as a central figure in the Post-Heraldic Age of Faith started by the Mighty Herald.

Captain Hadon Leran by Jarhed

Draqiroth had still been taught by the Herald, after all. He knew the way of the world, and how to secure power in the Mighty Herald's Draconia.
As Chief of Bortan, the militaristic village of Draconians, Draqiroth led many battles to prove himself a Bortanni. He did this not just because he, himself, was incredibly strong, but also because he wanted his people to get a taste of combat and show the Herald that he was not the only authority in the villages.
This led him into conflict with the Elves very often, fighting people like the Captain Commander of the Elven Guard Hadon Leran, Prince Naegalor Nerifir, and a great many Dwarven Generals.
He had gathered a great amount of support in the village of Yirthum, which was a puppet state under control of the Elves, as he brought up the idea of wanting autonomy for the Yirthumites once more. This made him a target for the Elves, but a popular figure in Yirthum itself.
The Yirthumites in favor of autonomy worked together with other enemies of the Elves, Dwarven smiths, to forge a new sword in honor of the one Draqiroth had lost. It looked much like his father's sword, but it had powerful enchantments and was made of Fuccium. It is said to have been one of the strongest weapons created, except perhaps the weapons of the Leran family: Gungnir, Fólkvangr, and Valhalla, and the blade of Nalrik Tilrak, Equalizer. This blade was known as الفتح, pronounced Alfath and meaning Conquest.

Naxiris Daxur by Jarhed

The Newest Pupils

Draqiroth was called to a noble family's house for a strange reason before he even graduated from the Magic College, before he was even Chief. In 914, the Daxur family asked for help while a noblewoman in the family was in labor. She was suffering immense pains, and there was a great worry something would go wrong, so they called upon the strongest Bortanni of the time for help.
Thus, Draqiroth Lealred was present for the birth of the warrior Naxiris Daxur, who popped out of the womb already fighting. She had monstrous strength, capable of overpowering many of the already powerful Daxur warriors.
It took Draqiroth himself to stop her, calming her down by fighting the newborn until he could hand her back to her parents.

Vaxidor Nerifir by Jarhed

After that, save for the times he was traveling the world and learning swordsmanship, he was always present to help train Naxiris. She didn't like his teachings very much, as she preferred a freeform type of combat that he never really appreciated. Still, she appreciated sparring with him.
There were other prominent individuals born around the same time, all of which would eventually be students of Draqiroth at the Magic College. The most important to him were Rhoziros Nimphonker, Ardar Tilrak, Vaxidor Nerifir, Vallyasa Uphal, and Topaz.
He chose Rhoziros Nimphonker as one of his interns, who he worked closely with. He found a strong connection with Rhoziros, who was a rival to the bard Ardar Tilrak. Ardar had been chosen as intern to the Mighty Herald, and so Draqiroth chose Rhoziros to oppose him.
Draqiroth also connected with Rhoziros in many areas. Rhoziros believed many of the same things he did, and he also saw himself in Rhoziros's story when he heard it. Besides, Heiven had antagonized Rhoziros for his connections to a witch in his childhood, and Draqiroth disliked this. After Rhoziros was cornered by Heiven in his office and nearly killed for being trained by a witch as a child, Draqiroth pulled him aside in the hallway and spoke to him one-on-one for the first time, telling him something that would always stay with the young alchemist.

"Don't let him get to you. He just likes to vent his frustrations, and he's got far too many. He's reliable, powerful, intelligent, but I don't suggest going to him when you need help. He'll just turn it into a bigger problem, even if he does resolve it.

Whenever you need help, even if everything seems confusing, even if it's overwhelming, look to me. Even if you think I won't understand... I'll be there. I can handle anything. I can help."

— Draqiroth Lealred

Rhoziros became Draqiroth's star pupil (largely because Naxiris didn't want to listen to all of Draqiroth's teachings, and wasn't much of an intellectual capable of spreading the ideology of nationalism).

Rhoziros Nimphonker by Jarhed

Topaz was the other intern, who was more suited to action where Rhoziros was more of a political and scholarly force (though still a better mage than Topaz). Topaz was a pirate, and could act in areas where the Draconians could not, and had a more versatile ability.
Draqiroth clashed with the young Nerifir student, Vaxidor, but he ultimately decided to put aside his hatred to guide the boy as a way to spite the Elven throne. Vaxidor was strong, and with proper training he could be much, much stronger.
A mystery had begun during the first two years of this class. People were being found dead around the nation, drained of their magic and life force. At first, Heiven believed it to be vampires, but Draqiroth was preparing for something else. And besides, when evidence was found of who might be responsible, a vampire, Rhoziros did not go to Draqiroth. He figured that Heiven, as a witch hunter, would be more suited to this, and Rhoziros saw firsthand Heiven fail to live up to this hope, nearly dying to the vampire lord.

Ardar Tilrak by Jarhed

Draqiroth was pleased to learn that it was Rhoziros, alongside the bard Ardar Tilrak, who killed the vampire instead. The hope of Draconian could perhaps truly be placed in their hands. But they needed guidance.

The Fall of the Herald

When Draqiroth took in his two interns, Rhoziros and Topaz, he did so knowing that war was coming, and that he would have to be the one to wage it. He prepared them, trained them, and kept an eye on the interns of the Mighty Herald until, finally, the Herald gave a grand speech and disappeared with the Paragons of Unity and his interns.
Draqiroth called together his interns, and even brought Vaxidor over with them, and invaded the Temple. He was just in time to save Ardar Tilrak, but the other intern and the followers of the Herald had all been absorbed, empowering the Mighty Herald even more than before. Proof that the Herald was the one responsible for those murders, witnessed by the Bortanni army and those few interns. Draconia would learn, but they would learn over the corpse of the Herald. Draqiroth refused to let the Mighty Herald live another day.

Jinzire Eltan by Jarhed

Topaz prevented the rest of the army from being harmed while Draqiroth, Rhoziros, Ardar, and Vaxidor fought the Mighty Herald. Even with four powerful mages, they were still heavily outmatched.
Most scholars agree that the Mighty Herald is the third most powerful Grand Wizard in history, after the legendary Kilprax Ildial and Salasar Feaphed, and those who saw his final fight agree that he was certainly far more powerful than the four mages were, and likely stronger than their combined power. Most lost hope before the fight was even halfway over.
But finally, Draqiroth got to him, and it almost seemed as if the Herald gave in, lowering his guard and allowing Draqiroth to kill him. To become the hero against the great villain known as the Mighty Herald.
Draqiroth didn't care about any of that. He just wanted the nuisance gone and his path cleared for him. The path to become Grand Wizard.

Relationships

Relationships

Draqiroth Lealred was an outgoing man, who knew many people, but was close to very few. He was better in crowds, and in one-on-one interactions he often resorted to his warrior instincts, leading most often to stiff conversations and a loss of his usual charisma.
To those he was close to and familiar with, however, he was able to talk so freely and smoothly that it seemed to come more natural to him than even battle.

Aridri Gedweth

Draqiroth's first, and closest friend, Aridri Gedweth grew up with Draqiroth, and they escaped the Uncharted Desert together.
Aridri was Draqiroth's closest companion for most of his life, shaping most of his thoughts, experiences, and opinions.
It was Aridri's death which finally awakened Draqiroth to act on his potential. The loss of his closest friend.
Even in death, Aridri stayed close by Draqiroth's side, inspiring everything he did.

The Mighty Herald

Draqiroth's greatest enemy, his predecessor as Grand Wizard, the Mighty Herald was a constant nuisance to Draqiroth for most of Draqiroth's life, from the day he and Aridri came to Dembar to the day he killed the Herald.
The Mighty Herald antagonized Draqiroth, largely because he wanted Draqiroth to be the one to take him down. The Herald saw great promise in Draqiroth, and wanted the one who killed him to be larger than life.
By contrast, Draqiroth hated the Herald because he saw him as aloof and dangerous, using his nigh unstoppable power to exploit people and lead them down a dark dead end path.
The Mighty Herald taught Draqiroth directly how to use magic, making Draqiroth one of the Herald's many pupils, and one of many who stood up against what he viewed as an unjust and manipulative man.
If the Herald had any opinions towards Draqiroth's politics, they were never made public. He always tried to keep relatively politically neutral, except for his general distaste towards the Elven Guard because of his origins in Ilder. On this one thing, Draqiroth and the Herald found agreement, and were known to on occasion meet for tea to discuss what to do about Elven interference in their nation.
Draqiroth eventually led a group of students to take down and kill the Mighty Herald, but the Mighty Herald made sure to focus on the one who he cared most about there. The one he wanted to kill him. And Draqiroth was happy to oblige.

Heiven

Once Draqiroth's best friend, after Aridri's death, Heiven was coworkers with Draqiroth at the Magic College, and the two taught together for years until, finally, Draqiroth got the promotion he desired: Grand Wizard.
Their relationship up until then was a close one. They shared everything with each other, as neither really had much time outside of their duties, and spent most of their time together when they were not leading their respective organizations (Bortan and the The Witch Hunters of Waire, respectively.)
However, both of them held resentment for the other, deep down. Heiven resented that Draqiroth was seen as such a great man despite being no more impressive than Heiven, who had stagnated in position despite trying so hard to stand up for what he believed in and fight for what was right. Heiven envied Draqiroth, and worried that this growing reputation would swell into dangerous territory with his radical ideals and violent tendencies.
Draqiroth, meanwhile, saw that Heiven had been starting to become overzealous in his duties, persecuting, arresting, and attacking mages who were only tangentially related to the evil witches he claimed to hate. Heiven had started down a path that could be considered that of a witch himself, and Draqiroth feared his friend was becoming a hypocrite.
Eventually, Heiven was arrested by Draqiroth for a minor betrayal against him, and this broke their relationship apart completely. During Draqiroth's time as Grand Wizard, Heiven became the central figure of opposition against Draqiroth on a global scale, mentoring the mages who would do most of the actual fighting against Draqiroth and his nationalists.
Heiven led the global coalition against Draqiroth, being the leading figure who fought Draqiroth and, when he was losing, pulled the trigger on the Tsar Bomba, killing Draqiroth and major chunks of both armies.
Two men who once were anchors in darkness clashed one final time on an explosive battlefield, bitter enemies forgetting they had ever cared for each other. In the end, all they remembered was the things that had broken them apart.

Rhoziros Nimphonker

Draqiroth's star pupil, Rhoziros was a student in Draqiroth's class and interned with Draqiroth during that time. He learned a great deal from Draqiroth despite them sharing no physical techniques nor magical abilities in common, and they found that their ideals matched up a great deal, with Rhoziros even expanding his beliefs after learning from Draqiroth.
Rhoziros opposed Draqiroth for a short period, up until he graduated as valedictorian of his class, when he decided that he did stand by Draqiroth.
Draqiroth entrusted Rhoziros with command of the army, making the boy his master strategist and all but adopting him as his own son.
Rhoziros was forced to watch Draqiroth's death from afar, unable to intervene, and swore to avenge him and carry his work onward.
While he did not become the leader of the Nationalist party after Draqiroth's death, he is considered Draqiroth's true successor, and has taken up Draqiroth's position as the face of the party, having opposed the other parties, in particular his own rival, Ardar Tilrak.

Ardar Tilrak

The final student of the Mighty Herald, and a classmate of Rhoziros, Ardar Tilrak was always an anomaly to Draqiroth. He came from a prominent Draconian family, an iconic and mythic bloodline from Bortan, but he was not Bortanni nor was he particularly proud of his heritage due to familial trauma he had suffered.
Ardar saw through much of the Mighty Herald's facade, and while Draqiroth saw only the front of the Herald and hated him for it, Ardar pitied him and wished to do good in the Herald's name. For this, he stood opposed to Draqiroth constantly.
Draqiroth disliked the outgoing and overly friendly nature of Ardar, seeing it as annoying and needless. He saw Ardar's desire for justice as a perversion of the Herald's already evil ways, and wished only for Ardar to never prosper as the Herald had.
Ardar, conversely, hated the manner in which Draqiroth always acted towards people who had done nothing to him, confrontational until given a reason to calm down instead of starting calm until provoked.
It was Ardar who actually led the coalition against Draqiroth during the Draqiroth War, as the chief strategist of the anti-Draqiroth forces and the most outspoken force against the Grand Wizard.
He was the last one standing in the war, and just as the Herald's enemy succeeded him, Ardar succeeded his foe Draqiroth as Grand Wizard. He was blamed for much of the war, even when he only reacted to what others did, and is still seen as an equally divisive figure as Draqiroth himself despite his peaceful goals.

Naxiris Daxur

A child from Bortan who grew to become a great warrior also in Draqiroth's class, Naxiris was Draqiroth's favorite warrior, though he hated her as a student. She never listened, and often went her own way, refusing his training or lessons.
Still, he often said she had the potential to be stronger than him if she actually applied herself. However, he knew she never would. With the potential to be the strongest Draconian in history, she insisted on staying as she was, and he eventually came to admire her for that.
She was fickle in choosing sides, but remained rather loyal to Draqiroth because it meant she would get to fight the world and become the next Chief of Bortan. It is said that, eventually, she came to believe in the cause, but only after abandoning her place by Draqiroth's side for years.
Despite that, she was welcomed back with open arms, and given a place equal to Rhoziros in the army. As Chief of Bortan she continued Draqiroth's legacy and wars long after he died.
Some say they considered each other family, while others believed that neither Naxiris or Draqiroth cared for such a thing around each other. They were happy to be in powerful company, and that was all that mattered.

Vallyasa Uphal

Rhoziros's childhood friend, she came to Draqiroth's side first, after a dramatic change led her to see the world differently.
Draqiroth saw her fractured soul and tried to piece it back together, but he found little success in doing that. Instead, he gave her a place to vent her frustrations and, in turn, find those who could help her achieve a better life.
For this, she considers Draqiroth to have been a big help in turning her life around, though in truth he did very little for her. She became a very outspoken voice in the Nationalist party as well, particularly after Draqiroth's death.

Topaz

The student Draqiroth saw the most of himself in, Topaz abandoned his role in the crew of the Pieces of Eight and second-in-command under Blackbeard to work with Draqiroth.
Draqiroth taught him everything he knew, from fighting tactics to magical techniques, and tried to steer Topaz towards a better path, where he would stand up for himself and not just fall behind others, ignored and neglected as he believed he had been.
Topaz considered Draqiroth to be a second father to him, even though Blackbeard had raised Topaz for most of his life. Many see Topaz as a traitor for aligning with Draqiroth over Blackbeard, while others see him as a hero who stood up for himself and what he believed in.
He died, right by Draqiroth's side, questioning himself one final time before the explosion took him.

Nyultar Yelrath

Draqiroth had many flings throughout his life, never settling down despite preaching the value of relationships and family to his people and party.
One of his most famous flings, during the height of his reign, was with the noblewoman Nyultar Yelrath of Waire.
The two were on again off again for years until finally Nyultar had a son with Draqiroth, Clocus, and they were forced to reconcile their relationship. This boy was the legacy they would leave behind, after all.
For the final years of their lives, the two lived together, though it was said they still saw others on the side, they would return to each other when the day was over. Nyultar, despite her fickle relationship with the Grand Wizard, died by his side in the Draqiroth War.

Clocus Lealred

Draqiroth's only biological son, Clocus Lealred did not spend much time with his father. Draqiroth was busy leading an army, and so he rarely had the chance to spend time with his son.
When he did, it was training, as it was with the rest of his army. He could only take the time to train his son alongside his soldiers, for he was preparing for war, and a future would come after that. At least, it should have.
Clocus idolized his father, and always tried to not just live up to the larger than life man Draqiroth was, but to be exactly like him to fill the hole Draqiroth left in Draconia. But he can never truly be like him, for Clocus never got to truly know who Draqiroth was. He will always be a hollow imitation, because Draqiroth never let his own son close enough to him.

Quothas Nerifir

Draqiroth had an antagonistic relationship with the Nerifir Kingdom, and the king for most of his life was Quothas Nerifir. The two met a few times, often when Draqiroth would make diplomatic trips to visit Camor and threaten Quothas.
Draqiroth lured Quothas to Zephys in 936 with promises of a peace deal, only to kill the King of the Elves and leave his corpse in a warehouse, bringing him out only to taunt Quothas's three sons: Naegalor, Calador, and Vaxidor Nerifir.

Naegalor Nerifir

The Nerifir who Draqiroth hated most, these two clashed often and met most often. Naegalor patrolled the Elven Forest to gain support for when he became king, and so he met up with Draqiroth in Bortan, where the two would trade threats and insults.
Both were unsure if they could beat the other, and so they both held off on fighting. Only when Draqiroth killed Naegalor's father so that his rival could be king did they finally trade blows, and Naegalor lost horribly. The prince realized he was not suited for the throne, unable to hold the crown for his people because of that fight, and that led to Draqiroth's greatest disappointment, as Naegalor gave the crown to his youngest brother Vaxidor instead.
Naegalor rushed to fight Draqiroth when it seemed he had been winning in the Draqiroth War, and for that he was caught up in the Tsar Bomba and killed.
Despite his cowardice and perceived weakness beneath the facade of his pride, Naegalor was still prepared to fight Draqiroth to the end, and died for it.

Calador Nerifir

A coworker of Draqiroth, Calador had been working for the Magic College before Draqiroth was even born. Draqiroth did not know until Calador quit in 936 that Calador was Prince of the Elves, and it recontextualized what had otherwise been a fairly normal work relationship.
They were not good friends, as Calador tried to keep a bit of distance between himself and Draqiroth, but he still reached out to try and help him whenever issues arose, and they occasionally would get drinks together.
Calador believed he needed to finally stand up for his family, and so he went with Naegalor to take down Draqiroth during the Draqiroth War and, like his older brother, died in the Tsar Bomba.

Vaxidor Nerifir

The youngest of the three Nerifir boys, Vaxidor was Draqiroth's student, and had learned a great deal from him in an attempt to spite his father and prove he was worthy of the throne. Draqiroth, not seeing Vaxidor as a real threat, had no trouble with this.
Draqiroth even called Vaxidor to help him kill the Mighty Herald, but had not anticipated that this only caused Vaxidor to gain noteriety, and granted him more legitimacy that he eventually used to ascend to the throne.
When Vaxidor became king, he and Draqiroth never met in person again, but they would trade passive aggressive letters and send messengers to deliver their anger towards each other.
A master and student who had no truly strong feelings towards each other at first, they grew to be bitter enemies. After Draqiroth's death, Vaxidor attempted to destroy his grave at first, until he realized that Draqiroth was not responsible for his brothers' deaths. It was the one who made the Tsar Bomba who was responsible.

Hadon Leran

The Captain Commander of the Elven Guard did not get along well with Draqiroth, no matter how hard he tried. Hadon had a strong relationship with Bortan from his youth and connection with the hero Nalrik Tilrak, and so he hoped that Draqiroth, who was praised constantly (albeit potentially sarcastically) by the Mighty Herald, would be like Nalrik.
Instead, he found Draqiroth to be antagonistic towards the Elves, constantly starting fights just to prove he could win them. Hadon was the only person capable of standing against Draqiroth, and so he had a rule that whenever the Elven Guard got into a fight with Draqiroth, there would be at least three designated soldiers whose job was simply to fetch Hadon so that he could stop Draqiroth.
Hadon wanted to be present to defeat Draqiroth during the Draqiroth War, but the leading voices in charge of the plans kept him on the sidelines, and he was forced to watch from a distance as Draqiroth was killed by a forbidden spell Hadon himself had history with.

Blackbeard

Draqiroth detested the notorious pirate a great deal, as he saw Blackbeard as unfaithful to anyone and anything but his own greed. He saw Blackbeard's supposed morals as a facade to mask his desire to cause chaos.
It was said that Draqiroth, despite his hatred of the Nerifir Kingdom, chided Blackbeard for being unable to have any faith or loyalty towards the strongest and most nation in the world. Due to this, Draqiroth often tried to get Blackbeard away from him as fast as he could.
Blackbeard, meanwhile, saw Draqiroth in a way no one else did. He saw him as a tyrant, despite the freedom and autonomy he preached, and said that his nationalism would be the death of him and thousands who could otherwise lead free lives unbound by nation or false ideals.
The pirate knew what it meant to stand by your principles, and admired that Draqiroth was able to do so, but did not agree with almost anything he did, and often opposed it in a way only he was able to.

Jinzire Eltan

Draqiroth and Jinzire had a relationship that was, at first, built off of fear. Draqiroth was imprisoned by the Noble Council for killing the Mighty Herald, and Jinzire was a leading voice in the council. He meant to intimidate Draqiroth into giving up any claim to the position of Grand Wizard, which he had campaigned support to seize for a long time.
Jinzire was, instead, intimidated into giving in, and for the next few years, Jinzire was motivated by fear of Draqiroth into cleaning up his act. He also was with Draqiroth when they were attacked in the Dark Elven Caves, and his inhibitors were removed after that encounter.
It was Draqiroth's influence that helped turn Jinzire's life around, making him a better man than the corrupt, lazy noble who wasted his days away reading smut.
Jinzire took over as the new face of the Draconian Nationalist movement after Draqiroth's death.

Life

893 ME 964 ME 71 years old

Spouses

Siblings

It was not so simple. The Mighty Herald had, after all, stacked the Noble Council with loyalists, and therefore Draqiroth was arrested for killing the Mighty Herald and placed on trial. A young nobleman on the council, Jinzire Eltan, was given the job of running the trial, a way to prove himself to the Council with his first big job. He tried to be tough on Draqiroth, but Draqiroth broke free of his bindings and attacked the guards that were holding him down.
He then threatened Jinzire, telling him there were worse threats to the Draconians than himself, the man who wanted to lead them to glory, and said that Jinzire best lead the vote right now to induct him as Grand Wizard or else he will take it by force as it was done in the old days.
Jinzire reluctantly agreed, and all the Noble Council voted to induct Draqiroth as the next Grand Wizard, unanimously for the third time in history (the only other times being when Iorkul Kricel and Perzita Theldrar were appointed as Grand Wizard) because every single one of the councilors was afraid of him.

Dresmorlin Cobath by Jarhed

Draqiroth grabbed Jinzire and told him they were going on a mission, for he'd heard about a threat to the Draconians that needed to be dealt with as soon as possible. A Great Vampire Lord.

The 68th Grand Wizard

It was the first official act of Draqiroth Lealred, to deal with this Great Vampire Lord who he believed to be a threat beyond all other threats. Draqiroth and Jinzire went alone, because Draqiroth knew he could do it alone and wanted a witness. He also intended to make Jinzire a new voice for his movement, by helping inspire the young noble to take up arms and be more confident.
What happened in that Dark Elven Cave that those two went into is unclear. All that has ever been said about it by either is that they visited a manor overlooking a cliff, and faced a powerful man. Some claim it may have been the legendary Dresmorlin Cobath, while others say Dresmorlin Cobath had died thousands of years prior, and others say that Cobath had died a few hundred years ago instead, to Heiven's predecessor Sinner Caerxan.
If it was him or not is unimportant, as no one would be able to prove if it was him or some other mysterious figure standing in his place, following in his footsteps. Draqiroth insisted that he killed whoever he found there, and never liked to speak on it further. If it were truly some legendary figure like Cobath, then Draqiroth would never stop boasting about it. For this reason, most who claim it was Cobath believe Draqiroth did not truly kill the vampire, but instead made some kind of deal to gain some kind of power or boon for Draconia. Others believe that Draqiroth would never make any deals with some malevolent vampire, even for the benefit of his people.
Whatever the case may be, Draqiroth and Jinzire exited the cave different men than they entered. Everything that stopped them from doing what they wanted to do most in their hearts, those inhibitors that held them back, were gone. Draqiroth pushed immediately to prepare for his grand plan. A plan that would come to be known as the Draqiroth War.
He gathered soldiers from all over Draconian Territory, which he had begun officially calling Draconia with the authority of the Grand Wizard now, and trained them up. It was his goal to have them train for 30 years, and he made this clear to the world that once those 30 years were up, he would declare war on every nation and conquer them all just to show that he could. Just to show how truly mighty the Draconians were, that they could face every army in the world and come out victorious. And he wanted the news to spread. He wanted to wait because he needed the soldiers trained, but he knew it would take a long time for the news to reach the farthest corners of the Uncharted Desert. But eventually, it had to reach them. He needed it to.
In the meantime, Draqiroth put a halt on all business with other nations, including sending students of the Magic College abroad. Heiven refused to follow this order and took a handful of willing students abroad to Udai anyway. This included Draqiroth's pupil Rhoziros Nimphonker, as well as Vaxidor Nerifir, Ardar Tilrak, and Naxiris Daxur. So Draqiroth spent his time training Topaz, and placed Jinzire Eltan in the vacant teacher position he had left by becoming Grand Wizard.
Many expected him to forbid non-Draconians from coming to the Magic College, but Draqiroth had kept what he learned from Aridri Gedweth deep in his heart. Anyone could be proof of Draconia's strength as long as they alligned with him. Even the Mighty Herald and Ardar Tilrak were proof, despite opposing his plans. All who lived there demonstrated the excellence of Draqiroth's Draconia.
Draqiroth trained most of the students that remained one-on-one, but another class, the class of 938, was secretly working with Heiven behind his back to undermine Draqiroth's plans.
Over the course of the year that Draqiroth's students were in Udai, he pondered what to do. It was Rhoziros's childhood friend, Vallyasa, who had been kidnapped, and by a familiar face apparently. Zokk, the Orc, had taken her and was, supposedly, torturing her. Draqiroth wanted to help the student, but he also did not want to oppose Zokk, whose ideals alligned with his own.

Malcun Starcaller by Jarhed

And so it is said that Draqiroth decided not to intervene, trusting this mission in Udai to Rhoziros to test if he was truly ready to shoulder the burdens that Draqiroth planned to thrust upon him when the time was right. If he failed against Zokk, who was so like Draqiroth, then he would most certainly fail to live up to Draqiroth himself.
But word reached Draqiroth quickly of Rhoziros's success. He single-handedly defeated and killed Zokk, unlocking Impossible Magic and saving Vallyasa. Draqiroth was proud, and now that he knew they were on their way back, he needed to step in and make a demonstration. He needed to show the consequences of disobeying his orders, and he needed to stop the man responsible for that act of rebellion.
Heiven was brought back to Elone first, captured by a new student named Malcun Starcaller and given to Draqiroth, who had issued the warrant for Heiven's arrest for defying his orders, but also for the publicized killing of the Korvian King, which Heiven swore was something he was forced to do, but Draqiroth believed was meant to be a message of his intention towards Draqiroth.
Malcun had been one of the students Draqiroth had been training over the course of the year, as he saw great promise in the Human mage, as Malcun expressed a strong desire to become the strongest, and Draqiroth admired that dream, one that he, too, had once had. To solely be the strongest. If he was training others, he thought, he may as well train the one who was like he had once been.

Student Conflicts and the Long Wait

Despite arresting Heiven for fleeing to Udai for the year, Draqiroth did not want to greet the students with that same sentence, but his old friend had worked against him too often and Draqiroth could not risk someone so skilled stopping him.
Many students now began working to free Heiven, even if they did ultimately agree with Draqiroth's plans. They feared what Draqiroth was doing, now that he was seemingly unhindered by his own morals or fears. Any past hindrances or obstacles were gone in the heart of Draqiroth Lealred, and he was striking out far too boldly for the man they all once knew.
But that was the kind of man Draqiroth was. One who took matters into his own hands every time he had the opportunity to do so.
He met many times with some of the students. There were those that avoided him, but Vallyasa Uphal, having been turned into a vampire by Zokk, was the first to cling to Draqiroth and his war. She had grown much bolder after her torture, and now wished to be more direct in her actions, and did so with the help of Draqiroth. Alongside her, Ardar Tilrak would meet often with Draqiroth, but Draqiroth knew these meetings were pretense for Ardar probing his mind and learning his secrets. Draqiroth, however, was happy to meet with the young Tilrak. A fellow Bortanni family, Draqiroth liked getting to learn about him and connecting with someone who had an opposing view. He hoped that he could, perhaps, sway Ardar to his side. If he had Ardar and Rhoziros, Draqiroth was certain he would be unstoppable.
On that note, Draqiroth met constantly with Rhoziros, hearing out any issues that Rhoziros had, continuing to teach and train him, and giving him small tasks to do. He wanted to continue relying on Rhoziros and showing Rhoziros he trusted him, even when he knew that Rhoziros was making plans to free Heiven. Heiven had taught him, Draqiroth understood the boy's attachment. He just continued working to win Rhoziros over and get him to see the man Heiven really was.
Heiven was later freed by the World Court when he managed to convince them he had been puppeted to kill the Korvian King, and after that many of the rebellious students were freed from Draqiroth by the pirate Blackbeard. But he had ordered the arrest and execution of the Class of 938 who had been plotting against him, and they had been dealt with before Blackbeard could act. A class of his own students were dead on Draqiroth's orders. Hundreds of years prior, an act of that nature had nearly destroyed the reputation of the entire nation, but now it only made Draqiroth's reputation all the greater, as the world began to truly fear him.
But some students remained by Draqiroth's side, as Heiven was freed and the truth came to light. As Malcun Starcaller vanished after his defeat at Rhoziros's hands, and the Class of 936, an anchor in the peace of Draconia, graduated in a great schism. Rhoziros Nimphonker, Topaz, Naxiris Daxur, Vallyasa Uphal, and the Devil known as Redemption were the students of the class who remained loyal to Draqiroth, having been convinced that he had not done enough wrong to betray him. Jinzire Eltan stayed with Draqiroth. And over the next 28 years after the graduation of that class, those were the leading figures training the army for a global war, as Ardar Tilrak, Heiven, and Vaxidor Nerifir led the forces against them, preparing for this war.
As Grand Wizard, Draqiroth did not tolerate people supporting opposing forces. He let them continue on, but if a valedictorian graduated who was opposed to his views, he killed them so no powerful mages could join Ardar and Heiven's army.
Ardar Tilrak became Chief of Ealla and the leading voice in Draconia against Draqiroth. Because of Ardar, about half of the Draconian villages refused to join Draqiroth's army. Ealla, Waire, Evity, and Tamd all stayed on the side of Ardar Tilrak, the side of the world, and so Draqiroth had to recruit individually from those villages instead of levying the armies they had.

Captain Avant by genuinetrickster

Those who opposed Draqiroth, or wanted no part in the coming wars, often fled in droves to those villages that aligned with Ardar Tilrak. Draqiroth was greatly upset by this, but he didn't mind. Soon enough all of Draconia would be united, and he didn't care how long it took. He was willing to wait.
After a continued fling with a noblewoman named Nyultar Yelrath, Draqiroth had a son, the only biological son of his that he was ever made aware of: Clocus Lealred. Draqiroth raised the boy when he had the chance, which was rarely if ever, most of the time handing him off to Rhoziros or Naxiris instead.
At one point during those 28 years, Naxiris disappeared. Draqiroth refused to revoke her title, as he knew she would return when the time was right to fight. And she did, coming back with a daughter, Ohymm Daxur. Draqiroth considered Ohymm to be like a granddaughter, and let her into the training drills even in her youth, just as he'd done with her mother Naxiris.

The Draqiroth War

Finally, in the year 964, it was time for his plan to come into fruition. It was time for the Draqiroth War.
Draqiroth gathered his top generals together and recounted Rhoziros's plan the night before. He then told them that for the remainder of the night, they would not discuss war. Instead, they would spend this final day of peace enjoying the company they had.
And so, in the village of Yirthum, which Draqiroth wanted more than anything to free from the clutches of the Elves, the Draconian Nationalists had one final meal. Draqiroth Lealred, Rhoziros Nimphonker, Naxiris Daxur, Jinzire Eltan, Vallyasa Uphal, Redemption, Topaz, Ohymm Daxur, and the infant Clocus Lealred celebrated their coming victory, and the many victories of the past. And as the party wound down, Draqiroth pulled aside his two top generals, Rhoziros and Naxiris, who he was trusting with different fronts of the war, and gave them a piece of advice.

"You two carry hope on those scaled backs of yours... Draconia is yours. The armies are in the hands of Naxiris, the future in the brain of Rhoziros. Together, Draconia is mighty. And it is together when you two stand as one. You stand now at two edges of this great campaign, one east and one west. But we are one army. Never falter, for one missed step is a loss for us all. But I know you will not miss a step. I trust the future to you... I trust the might of Draconia to you. Make me proud... I am certain that you will."

— Draqiroth Lealred

Draqiroth had entrusted them all with different tasks. Naxiris was to carve a dangerous path through the treacherous Dwarven mountains alongside Vallyasa and Redemption, routing the main forces of the allied opposition. Meanwhile, Rhoziros was given the most important job. Paving a path through Ealla and into the Uncharted Desert to the east, heading straight for the town Draqiroth was born in. Heading to prove to all the Gnomes that the Draconians were a mighty people, capable of conquering the world if they pleased.
And finally, Draqiroth had the central front, invading the Elven Forest. Facing the greatest army in the world, the Elven Guard, and whatever allies they had called to their front, which they deemed the most important.
But he was surprised to find most of the Elven army's main forces were not there. The Captain Commander, as well as one of the Captains of the Corps, was not present. The King of the Elves, Vaxidor himself, had not come to Draqiroth's front. Not even Ardar had. Instead, Heiven led the front against Draqiroth. The man who had once been Draqiroth's closest friend now stood as his greatest enemy.
Heiven revealed that Ardar was behind their strategy, as the successor to the Mighty Herald, he had learned of Rhoziros's plan and planned around it. Draqiroth, enraged by this, began attacking, and no matter what Heiven and his army had up their sleeves, it was not enough. Even if the other fronts fell, Draqiroth was unstoppable. He only grew angrier when Heiven pointed out that Draqiroth and the Mighty Herald had the same goal ultimately: to make themselves known around the world.

Ikkul Ravofarn by Jarhed

Finally, Heiven was convinced to bust out a spell he hoped not to use. One that, still, he had prepared in case he needed to. A dangerous spell known as the Tsar Bomba, the most infamous spell that originated in Draqiroth's home village of Bortan, made by Ikkul Ravofarn. An explosion capable of leveling a city... Draqiroth was known to have muttered that it didn't matter if Heiven was coerced into using it, he had still mastered the spell, and doing that was enough for Draqiroth to know his former friend never cared about innocent lives. If he did, he'd have learned a spell that would save people. Instead, he learned a spell only to destroy everything Draqiroth had built with the very power of Draconia, of Bortan, that had made Draqiroth who he was. He wanted to not just win the war, but tear down Draqiroth's spirit and destroy the dream of Draconia. Heiven wanted total and complete victory, and a return to the status quo.
Draqiroth knew that there were people watching him. Not just his soldiers, who would be caught in the explosion, but citizens around the world. He knew the World Court, who had since abandoned him for Heiven, Vaxidor, and Ardar's side, would find a way to broadcast this moment of triumph to the world. The death of the Conqueror.
In his mind, his whole life flashed before him, from his time ridiculed to the escape with Aridri Gedweth, his time in Ilder and meeting the Herald, his tenure at the Magic College as a student and a professor, his journey learning sword techniques around the world, his time as Chief... and the students he mentored. The warriors he left behind. But most of all, he remembered those that he had lost. His father, who had died an honorable death... facing down an unstoppable force with pride, refusing to run or hide. He resolved to die just as his father had died.

"A mighty death amidst the sands of glory..."

— Draqiroth Lealred

And he remembered Aridri... the song they had both loved, the song of the Grand Wizard who could not bear to live with his grief. Draqiroth stood now, the opposite, a Grand Wizard who still had so much to live for, but could not live another day. And in memory of his friend and himself, and the fallen soldiers who perished in the war on his command, he began to hum the tune. That song he couldn't sing when Aridri died. The Grand Wizard Requiem. Finally he had done it.

"“I learned it, Aridri! But, maybe it’s too late. Is this the fate of the Grand Wizard? To sing the requiem for their fallen comrades? Is that all a Grand Wizard can do!? Even with ultimate power, can we never save them?

No! The Grand Wizard can fight! And I fought, you see! I became strong! My losses are equal to yours, Heiven! To defeat the Draconians, you needed to sacrifice everything! The world will remember our strength!

I’ve fulfilled my duty. Shown the world our strength, and died for it. But this wasn’t your war. I kept you by my side, made sure you got to see everything, but I knew that once the war ended, I would be gone. It’s why I made sure your plan kept the two of us apart. Your fight starts now.

The rest is up to you, Rhoziros.”

— Draqiroth Lealred

He stabbed his sword into the ground, staring down the explosion as it neared him. As he heard the cries of his soldiers drown out in the sound of the ensuing inferno. And thus, on the edge of the Elven Forest, Draqiroth Lealred died in the Tsar Bomba of the man who was once his friend. The man who became his greatest enemy. The sole survivor of that front of the war: Heiven.
Draqiroth's ideals would live on in the Draconian Nationalist party, particularly with Rhoziros, Jinzire, Naxiris, and Vallyasa. Topaz had died with Draqiroth, and Redemption wanted to make amends when the war was over. The will of Draqiroth Lealred was not followed, as Ardar Tilrak managed to win the succession contest and become the next Grand Wizard instead of Draqiroth's chosen successor, Rhoziros. Rhoziros, instead, succeeded Ardar, becoming the 70th rather than the 69th Grand Wizard, and fulfilling Draqiroth's will then, decades after Draqiroth's death.

Abilities

There is much to say about the abilities and skills of Draqiroth Lealred, most notably his combat expertise. He is said to be the greatest swordsman in history, as he mastered every sword technique and style in the world. He had absurd physical strength and was faster than most as well, with eyes that were capable of seeing precise movements and a body capable of using that to his advantage.
He had a powerful, enchanted blade called Alfath, but he was also skilled in hand-to-hand and could fight at a high level (though not being as versatile as he was with a sword) with any weapon he was handed.

Magic

Draqiroth was born with standard earth magic, capable of manipulating rocks, stones, dirt, and other minerals with his natural affinity. He was said to have great control over it, though he greatly preferred using his combative techniques rather than his magic.
This changed when he unlocked Impossible Magic. Sand Magic was the affinity he gained, capable of turning anything, from diamonds to mortal flesh, into sand, and controlling them by the individual particles. It has been said that the sand was just a way for him to visualize and physicalize it, and that with the way he used it, it was more likely that he just liked comparing it to the sand of his upbringing, and did not like mentioning what it truly was. Not sand magic... but Atom Magic. Control over the very basic building blocks of matter itself.
His most infamous spell was one where he controled the atoms visible to a target or targets, making them visualize infinity itself and overloading their brain with the very concept. This would disorient targets, allowing him to strike them while they were weakened and dazed, but also cause immense mental damage to them, as their minds struggled to process what they were seeing.

Weave

Draqiroth was also skilled in the technique of the Weave, where one tapped into the source of all magic directly and, thus, was able to use infinite mana while doing so. He was said to be the first to always have his Weave Anchor, a marble of packed sand, active at all times, meaning that he never ran out of mana because he trained himself to always have infinite mana.
Some say his Weave Anchor was not a miniature marble, but instead a marble that he had placed beneath Draconia itself, stretching the entirety of the nation. Thus, he drew his power from Draconia, and became the strength that inspired Draconia to get stronger as well. As he always intended, Draqiroth Lealred became the symbol of the might of his people, one that the entire world would never forget. One that would inspire the Draconians to keep fighting, as long as they possibly could. For all eternity.